Congress MLA, Panaji Mayor among 3 booked for molesting woman
Panaji: Newly-elected Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserratte of the Congress and city Mayor Uday Madkaikar are among three persons booked by the police for allegedly molesting a woman during an anti-encroachment drive, police said on Saturday.
The Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) has undertaken a drive to clear encroachments of off-shore casinos anchored in the river Mandovi.
One of the off-shore casinos had allegedly encroached on a footpath and workers of the civic body had gone to the spot Friday to clear it. Monserratte, Madkaikar and former Panaji Mayor Yatin Parekh were accompanying them.
The complainant woman, who was part of the group which opposed the demolition of a staircase constructed by the off- shore casino operator, alleged that Monserratte, Madkaikar and Parekh touched her inappropriately, abused her and outraged her modesty, police said.
"In her complaint lodged late last night, the woman also alleged that all the accused threatened to kill her," Panaji police sub inspector Arun Abhay Gawas Desai said.
Based on her complaint, the trio was booked under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt),354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), for outraging modesty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), police said.
When contacted, Monserratte claimed that no such incident has happened. He said that he was present at the site only to oversee the demolition work being conducted by the civic body.
"None of the persons named in the complaint were involved in any such action of outraging modesty," he said.
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Messi scores, but Inter Miami only gets 2-2 tie with Austin FC in opener of new stadium
Miami (AP): Lionel Messi scored on the long-awaited opening night in his new home stadium. And Luis Suarez found a way to tie things up late in the second half.
It was good enough to salvage a point for Inter Miami.
Messi scored on a header in the 10th minute, Suarez hammered home a volley in the 82nd minute and Inter Miami escaped with a 2-2 tie against Austin FC in the defending MLS champions' first match at their still-under-construction stadium near Miami International Airport on Saturday night.
Inter Miami (3-1-2) is now unbeaten in its last five MLS matches, and Austin (1-2-3) is now winless in its last four contests.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber was at the match, lauding the work that David Beckham — who picked Miami 13 years ago — did to get to this day. Inter Miami is in its seventh MLS season, its third with Messi, but has played home matches in Fort Lauderdale until now.
Garber touted the stadium opening as the latest sign of growth for MLS.
“I think our best days are still ahead," Garber said. "David shined a light on our league, and Leo's taking that torch, and he's showing it around. And we're getting calls from players around the world.”
The Herons never led; Austin took a 1-0 lead on Guilherme Biro's goal — the first ever at Nu Stadium — in the sixth minute, and the visitors went up 2-1 when speedy reserve Jayden Nelson scored in the 53rd minute.
Messi and Suarez both got tying goals, and Inter Miami missed some chances for a potential winner in the final minutes. Maybe the best of the lot: Mateo Silvetti's chance in the 87th minute, when he accepted a cross from the right wing and tried to one-time the ball but sent it sailing high.
“We already know what Leo is capable of and the trouble he causes for the opposition, and even without the ball as well,” Inter Miami defender Maxi Falcon told Apple TV after the match. “And Luis, too — whenever he's inside the box, he's lethal, and he proved that once again.”
Suarez thought he scored in the 90th minute after a free kick from Messi, but the play was called offside. And Messi had a chance about three minutes later from inside the box, but Brad Stuver got low for a save diving to his left to keep the game knotted at 2-2.
Stuver said it was a great result, especially given the circumstances — against the MLS champs, who were opening their new stadium.
“We got to be the villains,” Stuver said.
Austin led much of the second half, after Nelson came on at intermission and gave his club a spark.
Nelson — who played for Vancouver against Inter Miami in last season's MLS Cup final — got behind the defense, avoided going offside and took a pass from Myrto Uzuni in the middle of the field about 30 yards from the goal.
He sent a low shot that got past charging Inter Miami goalie Dayne St. Clair and kissed off the inside of the left goalpost before settling into the net.
